Boldly Go: The Complete ‘Star Trek’ Watch Order—From the Original Series to Today

It’s hard to think of another franchise that has stretched across so many decades, formats, and generations in the same way that Star Trek has. What started back in 1966—on September 8, hence the annual proclamation of “Star Trek Day”—as a three-season network series that NBC never quite knew what to do with has turned into one of the most expansive storytelling universes ever created. Nearly canceled twice (but saved by devoted fans) before ending production and revived countless times since, Trek has boldly gone from TV to movies, from animation to audio adventures and now into the streaming age, where there always seems to be another new series or project just around the next star system. Not to mention new films currently in development.

The beauty of Star Trek is that each incarnation reflects the time in which it was made. In the 1960s, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock stood in for America’s optimism, anxieties and social debates. In the ’80s and ’90s, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager mirrored a world grappling with diplomacy, identity and globalization. The Kelvin Timeline films of the 2000s tried to bring Trek into blockbuster territory, while the modern streaming era has offered both reinvention (Discovery, Picard) and nostalgia (Strange New Worlds). Even the animated series, once considered the oddball child of the franchise, has found new resonance through shows like Lower Decks and Prodigy.

What ties all of these together is the spirit of curiosity and the insistence that humanity’s best days are still ahead. Every time Star Trek reinvents itself—sometimes clumsily, others brilliantly—it circles back to that core idea. Whether you prefer Kirk’s swashbuckling, Picard’s diplomacy, Janeway’s perseverance, Sisko’s grit, Burnham’s emotional journey or the misadventures of a certain Lower Decks ensign who just can’t catch a break, the franchise has room for everyone.

This roadmap to the galaxy takes a chronological trip through every Star Trek series, film and even audio drama to date, presenting each in quick capsule form. You’ll get the key cast and a short premise for every chapter of the saga, from the 1960s original through the brand-new Starfleet Academy. Whether you consider yourself a lifelong fan who’s logged thousands of hours on the bridge or someone just looking for a way into this sprawling universe, it’s all here: the highs, the lows and the enduring adventures of Starfleet crews who continue to explore strange new worlds, boldly going.

‘Star Trek’ (1966–1969)

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), George Takei (Sulu), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Majel Barrett (Nurse Chapel/Computer Voice).
Premise: In the 23rd century, Captain Kirk leads the USS Enterprise on a five-year mission of exploration, joined by a diverse crew as they face alien civilizations, cosmic mysteries and moral dilemmas that reflect humanity’s struggles and hopes.

‘Star Trek: The Animated Series’ (1973–1974)

Cast: William Shatner (Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty/various), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura/various), George Takei (Sulu), Majel Barrett (Chapel/Computer Voice).
Premise: Continuing the Enterprise’s mission in animated form, the crew encounters stranger worlds and species than live-action budgets could allow, blending adventure with morality tales that echo the original series.

‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ (1979)

Cast: William Shatner (Admiral James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), George Takei (Sulu), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Persis Khambatta (Ilia), Stephen Collins (Decker).
Premise: Ten years after the series, Kirk retakes command of the Enterprise to confront V’Ger, a massive, mysterious entity threatening Earth, in a story of discovery, identity and humanity’s relationship with technology.

‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ (1982)

Cast: William Shatner (Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), George Takei (Sulu), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Ricardo Montalbán (Khan), Kirstie Alley (Saavik), Merritt Butrick (David Marcus).
Premise: Kirk faces the return of his old enemy Khan, whose thirst for revenge threatens the Federation. The battle with the genetically enhanced tyrant ends in tragedy with Spock’s sacrifice, cementing themes of mortality and friendship.

‘Star Trek III: The Search for Spock’ (1984)

Cast: William Shatner (Kirk), DeForest Kelley (McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), George Takei (Sulu), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), Robin Curtis (Saavik), Christopher Lloyd (Kruge), Merritt Butrick (David Marcus).
Premise: Kirk and his crew steal the Enterprise and risk everything to restore Spock’s life on the Genesis Planet, battling Klingons and sacrificing much along the way.

‘Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home’ (1986)

Cast: William Shatner (Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), George Takei (Sulu), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Catherine Hicks (Gillian Taylor).
Premise: Traveling back to 20th-century San Francisco, the crew must retrieve a pair of humpback whales to save Earth in their own time, blending humor, environmental themes and character moments in one of Trek’s most beloved films.

‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (1987–1994)

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Riker), LeVar Burton (La Forge), Denise Crosby (Yar), Michael Dorn (Worf), Gates McFadden (Crusher), Diana Muldaur (Pulaski), Marina Sirtis (Troi), Brent Spiner (Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher).
Premise: Nearly a century after Kirk, Captain Picard commands the Enterprise-D, leading an ensemble crew through new alien encounters, moral dilemmas and political conflicts in the 24th century.

‘Star Trek V: The Final Frontier’ (1989)

Cast: William Shatner (Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), George Takei (Sulu), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Laurence Luckinbill (Sybok).
Premise: Spock’s half-brother Sybok hijacks the Enterprise to seek the mythical Sha Ka Ree, forcing the crew to confront faith, doubt and the search for God.

‘Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country’ (1991)

Cast: William Shatner (Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), George Takei (Sulu), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Christopher Plummer (Chang), David Warner (Gorkon).
Premise: As the Klingon Empire faces collapse, Kirk and his crew uncover a conspiracy to prevent peace in a Cold War allegory about prejudice, reconciliation and change.

‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ (1993–1999)

Cast: Avery Brooks (Sisko), Nana Visitor (Kira), René Auberjonois (Odo), Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax), Michael Dorn (Worf), Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko), Alexander Siddig (Bashir), Armin Shimerman (Quark), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Nicole de Boer (Ezri Dax).
Premise: Stationed near a strategic wormhole, Commander Sisko oversees Bajor’s recovery while facing political intrigue, religious struggles and the Dominion War in Trek’s most serialized and morally complex series.

‘Star Trek: Generations’ (1994)

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Brent Spiner (Data), LeVar Burton (La Forge), Michael Dorn (Worf), Gates McFadden (Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Troi), Malcolm McDowell (Soran), William Shatner (Kirk).
Premise: Picard and his crew battle Dr. Soran, obsessed with the Nexus, where Picard teams with Kirk to save the galaxy in the passing of the cinematic torch.

‘Star Trek: Voyager’ (1995–2001)

Cast: Kate Mulgrew (Janeway), Robert Beltran (Chakotay), Roxann Dawson (Torres), Robert Duncan McNeill (Paris), Ethan Phillips (Neelix), Robert Picardo (The Doctor), Tim Russ (Tuvok), Garrett Wang (Kim), Jennifer Lien (Kes), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine).
Premise: Stranded in the Delta Quadrant, Captain Janeway leads Starfleet and Maquis crews aboard the Voyager on a decades-long journey home, facing new civilizations and Borg threats.

‘Star Trek: First Contact’ (1996)

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Brent Spiner (Data), LeVar Burton (La Forge), Michael Dorn (Worf), Gates McFadden (Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Troi), Alfre Woodard (Lily), James Cromwell (Zefram Cochrane), Alice Krige (Borg Queen).
Premise: The Enterprise-E follows the Borg into Earth’s past to ensure Zefram Cochrane makes the first warp flight, confronting assimilation and Picard’s trauma as Locutus.

‘Star Trek: Insurrection’ (1998)

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Brent Spiner (Data), LeVar Burton (La Forge), Michael Dorn (Worf), Gates McFadden (Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Troi), F. Murray Abraham (Ru’afo).
Premise: Picard rebels against Starfleet when it conspires to relocate the Ba’ku, defending a peaceful people whose planet contains life-extending properties.

‘Star Trek: Enterprise’ (2001–2005)

Cast: Scott Bakula (Archer), Jolene Blalock (T’Pol), Connor Trinneer (Tucker), Dominic Keating (Reed), Anthony Montgomery (Mayweather), Linda Park (Sato), John Billingsley (Phlox).
Premise: A century before Kirk, Captain Archer commands the NX-01 on humanity’s first deep-space missions, encountering Vulcans, Klingons and Xindi while laying the groundwork for the Federation.

‘Star Trek: Nemesis’ (2002)

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Brent Spiner (Data/B-4), LeVar Burton (La Forge), Michael Dorn (Worf), Gates McFadden (Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Troi), Tom Hardy (Shinzon), Ron Perlman (Viceroy).
Premise: Picard confronts his Romulan clone Shinzon, who plots Earth’s destruction, as Data makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the Enterprise.

‘Star Trek’ (2009)

Cast: Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (McCoy), Zoe Saldaña (Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Sulu), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), Bruce Greenwood (Pike), Eric Bana (Nero), Leonard Nimoy (Spock Prime).
Premise: In an alternate timeline created by a Romulan incursion, a young Kirk and Spock must overcome rivalry and loss to stop Nero from destroying Earth.

‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ (2013)

Cast: Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (McCoy), Zoe Saldaña (Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Sulu), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), Benedict Cumberbatch (Khan), Alice Eve (Carol Marcus), Peter Weller (Admiral Marcus).
Premise: The Enterprise crew uncovers a Starfleet conspiracy as they face Khan’s vengeance, testing their principles in a battle over security and morality.

‘Star Trek Beyond’ (2016)

Cast: Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (McCoy), Zoe Saldaña (Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Sulu), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), Idris Elba (Krall), Sofia Boutella (Jaylah).
Premise: After the Enterprise is destroyed, the crew must unite on a hostile world to stop Krall’s plot against the Federation and reaffirm Starfleet’s ideals.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ (2017–2024)

Cast: Sonequa Martin-Green (Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Shazad Latif (Tyler/Voq), Anthony Rapp (Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Tilly), Jason Isaacs (Lorca), Anson Mount (Pike), Wilson Cruz (Culber), David Ajala (Book), Blu del Barrio (Adira), Michelle Yeoh (Georgiou).
Premise: Beginning before Kirk’s era and later leaping 900 years into the future, Michael Burnham and the crew of the Discovery confront wars, galactic mysteries and the task of rebuilding the Federation.

‘Star Trek: Short Treks’ (2018–2020)

Cast: Rainn Wilson (Mudd), Mary Wiseman (Tilly), Doug Jones (Saru), Ethan Peck (Spock), Aldis Hodge (Craft), various others.
Premise: Anthology of short episodes expanding Trek lore with character backstories, experimental tales and animated adventures.

‘Star Trek: Picard’ (2020–2023)

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Picard), Alison Pill (Jurati), Isa Briones (Soji), Michelle Hurd (Raffi), Santiago Cabrera (Rios), Evan Evagora (Elnor), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Brent Spiner (Data/Soong/Lore), Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Marina Sirtis (Troi), LeVar Burton (La Forge), Michael Dorn (Worf), Gates McFadden (Crusher).
Premise: Decades after Nemesis, an aging Picard confronts unfinished business tied to Data, the Borg and his old crew, ultimately reuniting with the Next Generation family for one last mission.

‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ (2020–2024)

Cast: Tawny Newsome (Mariner), Jack Quaid (Boimler), Noël Wells (Tendi), Eugene Cordero (Rutherford), Dawnn Lewis (Freeman), Jerry O’Connell (Ransom), Fred Tatasciore (Shaxs), Gillian Vigman (T’Ana).
Premise: An animated comedy focused on the support crew of the USS Cerritos, Lower Decks combines satire with heartfelt Trek stories, spotlighting ensigns striving to prove themselves.

‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ (2021–2024)

Cast: Brett Gray (Dal), Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Jason Mantzoukas (Jankom Pog), Angus Imrie (Zero), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf), Kate Mulgrew (Janeway), John Noble (The Diviner), Jimmi Simpson (Drednok).
Premise: A group of alien teens commandeer the USS Protostar and, guided by Hologram Janeway, learn Starfleet’s values while searching for a place in the galaxy.

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ (2022– )

Cast: Anson Mount (Pike), Rebecca Romijn (Number One), Ethan Peck (Spock), Jess Bush (Chapel), Christina Chong (La’an), Celia Rose Gooding (Uhura), Melissa Navia (Ortegas), Babs Olusanmokun (M’Benga), Paul Wesley (Kirk).
Premise: A return to episodic adventures, the Enterprise under Captain Pike explores strange new worlds while Spock, Chapel, Uhura and others come into their own.

‘Star Trek: Section 31’ (2025)

Cast: Michelle Yeoh (Georgiou), Omari Hardwick (Alok), Sam Richardson (Quasi), Robert Kazinsky, Kacey Rohl (Rachel Garrett), Sven Ruygrok, James Hiroyuki Liao, Humberly González, Joe Pingue.
Premise: Former Terran emperor Georgiou is drawn into Starfleet’s covert Section 31, navigating espionage and moral compromise while defending the Federation in secret.

‘Star Trek: Khan’ (Audio Drama, 2025)

Cast: Naveen Andrews (Khan), Wrenn Schmidt (Marla McGivers), Sonya Cassidy (Dr. Lear), George Takei (Sulu), Tim Russ (Tuvok), Olli Haaskivi (Delmonda), Maury Sterling (Ivan), Mercy Malick (Ursula), Zuri Washington (Madot).
Premise: An audio adventure chronicling Khan’s exile between The Original Series episode “Space Seed” and the 1982 film The Wrath of Khan, framed by recovered logs aboard the USS Excelsior.

‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ (2026– )

Cast: Holly Hunter (Chancellor Nahla Ake), Sandro Rosta (Caleb Mir), Karim Diané (Jay-Den Kraag), Kerrice Brooks (Sam), George Hawkins (Darem Reymi), Bella Shepard (Genesis Lythe), Zoë Steiner (Tarima Sadal), Robert Picardo (The Doctor), Tig Notaro (Reno), Oded Fehr (Admiral Vance), Gina Yashere (Lura Thok), Paul Giamatti (Nus Braka).
Premise: In the 32nd century, Starfleet reopens its Academy, following a new generation of cadets aboard the USS Athena as they train, bond and face trials that test Starfleet’s ideals in a rebuilt Federation.